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Da Capo Review
Over the winter break, I watched Da Capo. And it was a brilliant series. Being curious as to how other people thought of it, I found the following review through google. Needless to say, it irked me. Especially the last part:
"Recommended Audience: This is pretty much preteen stuff. There's some fan service, but it's not too much compared to other dating-sim anime. It would be fine for little kids, but they probably won't get it."
I told myself I would write a detailed analysis of Da Capo to counter such unfounded claims, but like most of my other projects, I never got around to it. Until now. Be warned - since this is a detailed explanation of the story, it goes without saying that this is a MAJOR SPOILER ALERT. It's also somewhat unrefined - I might revise it later, but I just want to get this rant off my chest.
Da Capo begins with Asakura Juunichi beginning a new semester in middle school. He lives with his younger sister Nemu, who is only related to him by name and not in blood. On the first day, Juunichi runs into his cousin Yoshino Sakura, who recently returned from America. Following a humorous day at school, we learn that both girls - Nemu and Sakura - have some kind of interest in Juunichi. Sakura shows her interest more bluntly, while Nemu hides it behind an outburst towards her brother. We also learn about three promises made between Juunichi and Sakura, but their importance remains a mystery to us until much later.
The scene between Juunichi and Sakura at the end of the first episode introduces the element of magical realism in Da Capo: elements of the fantastic woven into the story with a deadpan sense of presentation. Most anime series make a big distinction between the regular and the fantastic elements in their stories. Even Someday's Dreamers, which deals with the fusion of magic in the everyday world, isolates and highlights the scenes when magic is used. Da Capo's attitude towards the supernatural is to mix it together with the natural, as if both were one and the same.
In the following episodes, Juunichi meets a varied assortment of girls, ranging from the normal (Mako the tomboy and Moe the Osaka-wannabe) to the abnormal (Kotori the idol/telepath and Sakura the mysterious mage) to the purely magical (Miharu the banana-loving doggy robot and Yoriko the catmaid). In the spirit of magical realism, Juunichi accepts the unusual elements of the girls from the latter two categories without much inquiry or surprise.
The obvious purpose of these episodes is to capture the dating-sim spirit of the original Da Capo h-game. The not-quite-so-obvious purpose is to expose Nemu's feelings towards her brother and show that Juunichi's decision to be with Nemu was not taken lightly. While the success of some of Juunichi's possible pairings was highly uncertain, some of the other pairings weren't as farfetched, and the fact that Juunichi also turned down those pairings to be with Nemu does not settle well with some of the girls... especially with Sakura.
Earlier in the series, a recap episode hinted at the relationship between Sakura and the magical sakura tree on the island. After Juunichi makes his irrevocable decision, the story comes back to where it left off in the first episode and focuses on Sakura's character. Sakura's grandmother created the magical sakura tree to both protect Sakura and to help fulfill the wishes of the people on the island. We learn that all of the supernatural elements in the story are derived from this sakura tree. Kotori's telepathy came from her fear of making her foster family unhappy. Yoriko's current form came from her desire to explore the world that her master left behind. Miharu's existence came from her belief that she could be like the real Miharu through her memories.
Unlike a traditional harem anime, the series does not end happily ever after with Juunich's decision to be with Nemu. This turning point marks the second half of Da Capo, which focuses on Nemu and Sakura (a point which is beautifully expressed in the 2nd ED). A tense confrontation scene involving Juunichi, Nemu, and Sakura reveals the intricate relationship between the three childhood friends. Sakura, envious of the double status that Nemu had with Juunichi (as both a brother and a lover), deliberately made Juunichi promise that he would go out with her when she returned from America while Nemu was within hearing range.
Shortly after the confrontation, Nemu mysteriously falls ill and Sakura believes that the illness was caused by both her jealousy and her magical powers. Despite her attempts to reconcile with Nemu, Nemu's condition only gets worse. While Juunichi refuses to believe Sakura's story, Yoriko overhears their conversation and tells Sakura that the only way to stop the illness is to kill the sakura tree. It is through this plot device that Kotori, Miharu, and Yoriko make their elegant departures from the story, since their current lives were dependent on the sakura tree's existence.
Unfortunately, Yoriko's noble sacrifice was in vain, for the sakura tree refused to die. Nemu is now at the point where she doesn't recognize anyone but her brother. Sakura, in desperation, tries to leave for America so the tree can finally die, but her refusal to let go of Juunichi prevents her from doing so. The climax occurs when all three characters meet at the sakura tree late at night. Sakura, bruised and bloody from attacking the tree, finally accepts her true feelings - to make Nemu forget everything, including her memories with Juunichi, so Juunichi will have no choice but to leave her.
However, Juunichi also accepts his true feelings by stating his desire to be with Nemu. In the past, his decision was an implicit one, illustrated time and time again whenever Nemu stops Sakura's advances. Outside of their house, Nemu was the one who pulled Juunichi away from Sakura, and in the rooftop confrontation, Nemu was the one who told Sakura that she and her brother were a couple. Juunichi's decision was never explicit until now, when he says that he'll preserve the memories that Nemu will lose and make new ones all over again.
Juunichi also tells Sakura that he won't be angry if Sakura does wipe Nemu's memories. If this wasn't the case, then Sakura would have to keep repressing her feelings in order to be with Juunichi - an option that has clearly failed for her. Juunichi's preparation for what Sakura might do further illustrates his determination to be with Nemu.
Faced with such a declaration of love from Juunichi, Sakura finally admits defeat, knowing that anything she could do will never break the bond between the two siblings. She finally kills the sakura tree and leaves for America, but not without telling Juunichi that she'll come back and try to win his heart through non-magical means. Nemu finally gets better, and with this happy ending Da Capo finally comes to an end.
Preteen stuff? In your face!
God, I'm such a sap for romance.
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